TE · WAS · 28 yrs · exp 5 · Boise State
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The author identifies Ben Sinnott and Johnny Newton as potential breakout players for the 2026 Commanders. Sinnott, a tight end, is expected to see increased usage and production in the new David Blough offense, leveraging his abilities after the catch. Newton, a defensive player, is highlighted for his disruptive potential based on his college performance
Editor’s note: We’ll count down the top 10 Commanders players on the 2026 roster regardless of position sporadically over the next few weeks. Before we get to it, here’s how we arrived at the ranking: Our Scott Bair, Scott Jennings and Mark Tyler compiled a top 13 – no ranking was identical — with points assigned to each ranking slot from all three lists. We used these point values to form a consensus top 10 ranking. We’ll write a story on each member of the top 10 and another on others receiving votes at the end. Plus, Mark will probably have a Tyler’s Take with his thoughts. You’ll surely object to some of these rankings, though debate is kind of the point with lists like this. Today we focus on No. 9: The Commanders invested heavily in their defense this offseason, but they also added a few weapons on offense for Jayden Daniels to work with. Former Titans TE Chig Okonkwo was one of Washington ’s free agent additions that is expected to play a big role on the team this season, and beyond. Chig has played at least 60% of the offensive snaps and started at least 11 games each of the last three seasons. General manager Adam Peters signed him to a three-year deal worth up to $30 million . This ranking was consistent, with everyone having Chig at the bottom of the Top 10. He joins a team that had Zach Ertz as the No. 1 tight end for the past two seasons, until he tore his ACL last year. Okonkwo is going to get a lot of targets in this offense, with John Bates , Ben Sinnott , and Colson Yankoff behind him on the depth chart. There are also question marks at wide receiver behind Terry McLaurin , and Okonkwo should benefit as a reliable target for Jayden Daniels. The Tennessee Titans took Chig Okonkwo in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft . He had at least 450 receiving yards in each of his four seasons in Tennessee, but he only averaged two touchdowns per season. Okonkwo has great after the catch ability, and despite his smaller size, can truck some defensive backs or make them miss in the open field. Chig moves the chains, with 90 of his 196 receptions resulting in a first down. Receiving Rushing Scrimmage 23 TEN NFL TE 17 8 46 32 450 14.1 3 22 50.0 48 1.9 26.5 69.6 9.8 3 2 0 0 0.0 6 0.7 0.1 0.2 35 12.9 452 3 0 4 24 TEN NFL TE 17 11 77 54 528 9.8 1 25 48.1 39 3.2 31.1 70.1 6.9 2 6 0 1 50.0 4 3.0 0.4 0.1 56 9.5 534 1 0 5 25 TEN NFL TE 17 11 70 52 479 9.2 2 19 55.7 70 3.1 28.2 74.3 6.8 1 17 0 1 100.0 17 17.0 1.0 0.1 53 9.4 496 2 2 4 26 TEN NFL TE 17 12 79 56 560 10.0 2 24 45.6 43 3.3 32.9 70.9 7.1 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 56 10.0 560 2 0 4 Provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com : View Original Table Generated 6/7/2026. The Washington Commanders hit the reset button on offense and defense after last season, moving on from both of their coordinators, along with other changes to the coaching staff. Those changes move down to the players as the coaches start to tailor the roster to their new visions for the team. David Blough took over the offense for former OC Kliff Kingsbury, and Chig Okonkwo was the first offensive free agent the Commanders signed this year. He was a player a lot of fans had zeroed in on for Washington, and was a player seen as a solid fit. Chig has already talked about the amount of space Blough’s offense gives a player like him, and he’s excited for the opportunity to work with quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Commanders obviously have big plans for Okonkwo, as they install a new offense with a new coach that they think can get them to the next level. Okonkwo should play a big part in that, with real potential to have a career year in Washington
The start of OTAs is always exciting as fans get their first full look at the team after free agency and the draft. In terms of real information, there is usually very little to be had, but occasionally useful nuggets may be gleaned from short clips and interviews. One such find came from JP Finlay’s OTA notes from the first open session and was provided by veteran tight end John Bates . I spoke with veteran tight end John Bates after practice and asked him specifically about the TE role in the new offense. Bates explained tight ends will have a bigger role and expect to see multiple sets with multiple tight ends on the field. Maybe even 13 personnel like the Rams ran to great success last season. That’s exciting. For those that don’t know, personnel groupings are represented by two digits. The first digit stands for the number of running backs and the second stands for the tight ends. The remainder out of 5 skill players represents the wide receivers, so 13 personnel is one running back, three tight ends, and one wide receiver. The Commanders were not well known for this deployment last season. According to SumerSports , Kliff Kingsbury used the grouping on 5.5% of Washington’s plays. So why the excitement from the other JP? Sean McVay and the Rams used 13 personnel to great effect last season after Puka Nacua went out with an injury. In fact, the coach liked the results so much he kept using it after Puka returned to the lineup. Is it possible Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough and the Commanders could find the same success copying McVay’s model? As luck would have it, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell examined this exact question in an article a few weeks ago. The writer looked at both the Rams usage and how it might apply to the rest of the league. The examination raised some interesting questions, along with providing some interesting answers. For starters, how effective was Los Angeles with 13 personnel last year? According to Barnwell, very effective. The Rams averaged 0.14 expected points added (EPA) per play last season, their best mark since 2018. Working out of 13 personnel, that jumped to 0.22 EPA per play. To put that in context, the only offenses since 2017 to average that much in terms of EPA per snap over a full season were the 2018 Chiefs and 2020 Packers . The 2007 Patriots, one of the greatest offenses in NFL history, averaged 0.24 EPA per play. The 13 personnel Rams weren’t far behind. Clearly the Rams were successful when running 13 personnel. Seven-year veteran Colby Parkinson had a career year and set the Rams franchise record for most touchdowns by a tight end in a single season with eight. His previous career high for a season was two touchdowns. So why was 13 personnel so effective for Los Angeles? According to Barnwell, 13 personnel groupings require the defense to shift out of their preferred sub-packages, play more base, and limit the number of blitzes and stunts defensive coordinators have ready for an unfamiliar look. For teams that want to run the ball, heavier sets up front obviously help achieve their goal, and we saw Kliff Kingsbury use a sixth offensive linemen to great effect last season. In his article reviewing the top five tight end groups in the league, NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks agreed. The unique personnel grouping poses several problems for defenses due to the “heavy” look. It can force opponents to keep their base defensive personnel on the field against a diverse collection of blockers and playmakers. Additionally, head coach Sean McVay can deploy a few traditional and overload formations that create extra gaps at the line of scrimmage, opening up the running game when defenders do not properly align or fill their assigned gaps at the point of attack. With personnel and formation diversity creating mismatches against lumbering linebackers or undersized defensive backs who struggle to handle the unit’s size, strength or speed, the Rams were able to dictate the terms of the g [... truncated ...]
The Commanders shuffled their roster a bit heading into the second week of OTAs, adding a veteran tight end to the mix. The position group will be important in David Blough ’s new offense, which will feature multiple tight end sets on a regular basis. Washington added some experience to the group on Tuesday, signing Anthony Firkser to the squad. The Commanders released receiver Ja’Corey Brooks in a corresponding move. Firkser has been in the NFL since 2018, and was a heavily featured player with the Tennessee Titans through 2021. He has bounced around the league since then, with stops in Atlanta , Detroit , the New York Jets and Kansas City , with a return to the Lions in 2025. He’s a versatile player who can block and catch passes in a pinch, and can be a stout special teams player. He joins a position group that includes Chig Okonkwo, John Bates and Ben Sinnott . Those three are expected to make the squad, though a fourth tight end could make an argument for the 53-man roster. Brooks signed with the Commanders as a 2025 undrafted free agent, and spent last year on the practice squad and the practice-squad injured list. He signed a reserve-futures deal with the Commanders this offseason. The Commanders are conducting their second week of OTA practices from Tuesday-Thursday
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